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1.4 Factors That Gave Rise to the Modern Pentecostal Movement
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Jesus is the central focus of everything, not tongues, not anything else… when people have a true encounter with Jesus, lives were changed, the manifestation of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is seen, and tongues and other things are just byproducts of being indwelt by the Spirit of Christ. So, yes, I agree with Mr. Seymour when he said, "Don't tell people about tongues, tell them about Jesus."
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The emphasis upon Jesus is paramount for Biblical Pentecostalism. The newspaper in that day reported a babel of tongues and did not declare focus upon the saving name of Jesus. Seymour wanted to correct this misrepresentation of unbelievers and focus attention to believers what was imperative.
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I agree with Seymour’s statement. It is far too easy to become focused on the manifestation and not on the reason behind it. Ultimately, it should all point towards Jesus.
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I wonder if Seymour was influenced by Jonathan Edwards telling people years earlier that it is the cause, not the effect, that is important. It makes me curious how much was taught on the gift of tongues during the Azusa street revival, or if it was just quietly tied back to evidence of the baptism of the Spirit. If we don’t talk about it at all or teach what it is, does it become more or less of a stumbling block for those unfamiliar with it?
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Words are powerful. I believe that when the Pope dedicated the 20th century to the Holy Spirit he was making a Kingdom of Heaven inspired declaration. Is this declaration the only reason for so many Holy Spirit-birthed movements in this era? I don’t think so. I believe this was simply one of many pieces to what the Lord was orchestrating in this time, setting the stage for an outpouring of Holy Spirit.
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@smythc1 that’s right. I believe that God works in patterns and that when God is doing one thing in one part of his church, he is doing the same thing in another part of his church (even if it looks a little different).
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